Touch My Hand
by vesperlynd17
Summary: If I didn't care, I wouldn't be trying to win you back, Blair!" he yelled. "Win me back?" she laughed bitterly. "You shouldn't even try, Chuck. This is done. We were done a long time ago, so leave me alone. Just give up." My first Chair, set after 2.15.
1. Day 1

Here it is, my dears. My first Chuck Bass-Blair Waldorf fanfic. Fine, I lied. This _isn't_ going to be a oneshot. I realized that it would be unfair for Chuck and Blair if I made this story just a oneshot. I've decided to write the chapters by day, hence the chapter titles. I incorporated some ideas from both the books and the TV series. Like, I got the part headers from the books, and the plot was derived from the series. This fanfic is set after _Gone With The Will_ (episode 2.15). So, enjoy, and NEVER forget to leave a review!

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* * *

**_(almost) summer sensations_**

_Almost summer_.

Blair Waldorf let out an impatient sigh as she listened to Headmistress Queller bore the entire Constance Billard student body with her two-weeks-before-the-year-ends speech, which was to have special meaning to Blair and her friends, since they were the graduating class now, and the valedictorian was to be announced. Across the courtyard, within the red brick walls of St. Jude's School for Boys, the headmaster was also giving the boys the same pre-graduation treat. Blair's current activity was twisting – and eventually, ripping – the note Serena had "sneakily" slipped into her Marc by Marc Jacobs purse while they were getting non-fat lattes during Double Photography.

This seemed strange, because the letter wasn't from Serena, at all. Over the years, being best friends with Serena van der Woodsen had accustomed Blair to Serena's carefree, lazy scrawl, so different from her own practiced and precise Constance Billard cursive hand. The _Blair_ written in cursive on the front of the sealed single sheet of stationery was the exact copy of the St. Jude's prescribed handwriting that had been taught around the same time the Constance girls were being trained to write beautifully – say, second grade.

Nate's handwriting was just as careless and sloppy as Serena's, Dan Humphrey would _never_ send Blair Waldorf any letter as he avoided any form of communication with her while still making an effort to be polite, Eric van der Woodsen was her constant text mate and therefore had no need to _manually _write her a letter, and she had been on hiatus from all other boys ever since Finals Week began and she made it her life's (current) goal to beat that mousy social-climbing Nelly Yuki for the valedictorian spot.

With all that in consideration, plus the fact that the only other guy Serena had current personal contact with was her devil of a stepbrother who had moved back into the Bass-van der Woodsen home last month, Blair had no reason to read the stupid letter, which she thought gave her all the right to rip up the delicate piece of paper, destroying who-the-hell-knows-what the Bass-hole had wanted to say to her.

_Or NOT_ _say_, Blair thought bitterly. She bit her ultra-glossed bottom lip and leaned on the armrest between her and Serena.

"Nice try, bitch," she smirked at her best friend, then dumping the torn pieces of stationery into Serena's lap. Blair brought her attention back to the insufferable headmistress, who was still yapping on about the bright future ahead of the Constance girls instead of just announcing to whom the coveted top position was going to.

Serena frowned as soon as Blair turned away, the expressive eyebrows that Blair once criticized coming together disappointedly. She neatly stacked the also neatly torn pieces on top of one another, and stuffed them into a safe pocket in her bag. Rolling her eyes, she was agog at how normally bitchy Blair was, considering that she had more cocktails than the hung over Serena had the night before. Serena was secretly dying to know what Chuck had to say to Blair that he had to write into a letter, and not just say personally. The van der Woodsen already mentally located where she last put the scotch tape in her messy bedroom. She'd put the letter back together once she got home, read, and possibly weep.

* * *

**_s & c's brotherly breakfast_**

_"Sis! Good morning," Chuck beamed at his still-sleepy stepsister, who had semi-unconsciously put each of her flip-flops on the wrong foot. Chuck waved his hand graciously at the breakfast table, showcasing the meal he had prepared for Serena._

_Serena sighed and took her usual seat. Chuck followed suit and took the seat beside her, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles._

_"You know, Bass-hole, if you wanted something, you could have just bought me the new Miu-Miu coat I saw when we went to Bergdorf's together last week," she criticized._

_"You don't need a new coat, sis," Chuck smirked. "You need a good, healthy breakfast, which I already have so nicely prepared for you."_

_"I'm not even in the mood for food, Chuck. I have a hangover," Serena hissed. "Shit. _Why_ did I let Blair drag me in? Stupid."_

_Blair had finally struck her final nerve last night, breaking down after the stressful Finals Week, and forced Serena to come to Butter with her for a so-called celebratory dinner, when instead all they did was get drunk on empty stomachs. Serena placed her elbow on the table, and her chin in her hand, wondering if Blair would look like shit this morning, too._

_"Some coffee might help," Chuck offered, pushing Serena's cup nearer to her plate._

_"Just tell me what you need, Chuck. I'm _so_ not in the mood for your theatrics today," Serena muttered. "But I am not doing a lap dance for you, Bass," she added snappily, although she seriously doubted he would ask her that. Chuck had been a good boy ever since he moved back in, working in his room before ten o'clock, and not even Gossip Girl had seen him with _any_ girl since then._

_Chuck pursed his lips, and plucked a grape off the bunch lying on the exquisite bowl used as the centerpiece. "It's on your plate," he said simply._

_He arose from his chair, deciding that it was time to get dressed for school._

_"This won't be easy, I'm telling you, Chuck," Serena called after him. She burst into his room. "Blair isn't going to allow her self to be won over by you again, and if she _ever_ does, you are going to owe me," she stated._

_He cocked an eyebrow at her, with a get-to-the-point look on his newly-shaven face._

_Serena broke into a toothy, childishly excited grin. Blair was her best friend, and she wanted Blair to _finally_ make amends with the man who she won't admit she loves. "So, I'm going to need that Miu Miu coat before graduation, alright? It's going to look so awesome with my dress."

* * *

_

**_b gets on the van der Bass' wild ride_**

"Penelope! Shut _up_!" Blair snapped at her little minion. Penelope sucked in her already-hollow cheeks, and drew herself up. She was so much taller than petite Blair, but Blair Waldorf scared the shit out of her. Especially right now, when the Queen B was fuming – Queller hadn't made the big announcement today.

Hazel, Penelope and Isabel were going on about Jenny Humphrey, whatever the hell about her. Blair only caught the words Jenny, Humphrey, next, year, and Queen. She was so distracted, tired, and she had a belated hangover from her wild night out with Serena.

The Queen B snatched her oversized Audrey shades from her locker. She was so sure the dark bags under her eyes were showing. Serena suddenly pranced out of the teachers' lounge, talking to the new English teacher who replaced Ms. Carr, the bitch who had infinitely ruined Blair's chances of ever getting into Yale, or any Ivy League school, for that matter. Blair shook with anger and resentment at the thought of the ex-teacher.

Blair shot her three minions an annoyed glance, seeing Hazel's lower lip quiver peripherally. She made her way to the lounge door, and slipped her tiny hand into the crook of Serena's arm. Serena afforded giving her a quick nod, before turning back to her animated discussion with the teacher. Sighing inwardly, Blair slid her phone open, and started a full, descriptive email for Dorota of the nice hot bath and aroma therapy massage that was to be prepared before she got home.

The lounge door closed, and Serena placed her hand on Blair's as they walked out of Constance. Blair ignored the fact that Serena was totally strange and silent, so she decided to start the conversation herself.

"I feel like shit, Serena," she declared.

"Well, I feel like getting a pedicure," Serena mumbled. "Interested?"

"Nah, I'm having my own spa treatment waiting for me back home," Blair shrugged. "Right now, I just want to go home, take a bath, have a massage, and collapse. I'm so freaking tired. It's like it's not enough that I'm already completely stressed from Finals Week, and the building tension for the upcoming announcement that could possibly change Yale's decision about rescinding my admission. Chuck Bass-tard had to go along and give me more to worry about with his damned letter." Blair stopped in her tracks and pointed a long manicured finger at Serena. "I can't believe _you_ helped him, either."

Serena sighed. "I couldn't help it, B. My Miu Miu coat was at stake."

"And the award for Best Friend of the Year goes to Serena Celia van der Woodsen, who just helped her best friend's tormenter torment her even more," Blair glared. She proceeded out of the school, and Serena took a couple long strides to catch up with her. She slipped her arm back into a loop with Blair's.

"I'm sorry."

"Whatever."

Serena jumped, and Blair stopped walking once more.

"Yes!" Serena exclaimed, excitedly clapping her hands. "We have a ride!"

Blair narrowed her eyes at the long stretch limo waiting right in front of the Constance Billard-St. Jude's entrance. "As long as there's no Bass-hole sitting inside, I'll go along with it," she sneered.

Serena gulped. The adrenaline rush inside of her was doubling, tripling. This whole plan was getting her hyped up.

_Aha. Not quite, S._

And there came Mr. Golden Boy of the Upper East Side, himself.

And Blair completely turned her attention to him.

And the board meeting was going to start in ten minutes.

And Serena van der Woodsen _actually_ rued the day Nate Archibald was born.

Or just bad luck for letting him spot them right in the moment when they needed to rush.

"_Nate_!" Blair exclaimed joyously. She jumped on him and kissed his deliciously smelling cheek, although the scent never put either Blair or Serena in a trance anymore. Nathaniel kissed Blair's forehead.

"Hey, gorgeous," Nate chuckled, tugging at the lock of chestnut hair hanging over Blair's shoulder. Blair giggled girlishly, but never flirtatiously.

"Not so bad yourself, Nathaniel," she teased.

"Nathaniel." The icy voice came from the tall blonde goddess shooting daggers at him, standing behind Blair.

He gave Serena the hottest smile he could muster, which wasn't hard, because Nate knew just hot he really was, although he had always been so modest about it.

"Hello to you, too, van der Bass," he taunted, using the moniker they had given her after it went public that the late Bart Bass had the intention of adopting both Serena and Eric, his stepchildren, before he died. "Is your stepbrother rubbing of on you?"

Nate made his way to Serena, still, and they exchanged swift pecks on the cheek. Blair laced her fingers through Nate's, and started engaging him in friendly chatter. The entire Non-Judging Breakfast Club – consisting of Nate Archibald, Chuck Bass, Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf – were relieved that the awkwardness of a failed relationship weren't bothering Nate and Blair anymore. Blair was entirely comfortable with Nate, no longer bent on revenge for the love they lost, and Nate would just easily go with any flow.

Serena's phone beeped. She realized that she had been tapping her fingers nervously on the cellphone in her hand instead of diverting Blair's attention from Nate. She inwardly smiled at the name she assigned for Chuck's number in her phone, although she was deeply irritated by the current situation. She'd have to remember to change it into her new nickname for him.

_Stepbrother:_ Where the hell R U, S?

_Serenavdw:_ The Golden Boy suddenly decided 2 show up. I'm trying, Chuckles.

_Stepbrother:_ Try HARDER. Board's starting 2 come.

_Serenavdw:_ I'll get her there, Chuckles. & U better have my coat already.

_Stepbrother:_ 5 MINUTES, sis.

She hid her phone back in her bag. Nate and Blair's hands were still together, and though they were no longer talking, they still had goofy, drunken-like smiles on their faces.

"B!" Serena barked urgently. "I just got a text from my mom."

"Is Lily alright?" Blair broke from her distracted trance.

"Yeah, of course," Serena shrugged. "She just needs me to pass by Bass before we head home. Er…" _Shit_, she thought. _Wardrobe malfunction, maybe_?

"She just needs me to pass by Bass to pick up the Marchesa my grandma sent for me. The, uh, package was brought to her office by mistake."

"Oh my gosh!" Blair gushed. "The one-of-a-kind Marchesa you're wearing to the prom? But couldn't she just send it back to your suite at the Palace?"

_Shit_, Serena cursed silently again.

"She's in a board meeting, sweetie," Serena explained. "The meeting's almost over, so she asked if she could just ride home with us."

"Oh." Blair stuck her lower lip out. "Of course, that's no problem." She turned to Nate and gave him a last tight hug. "I guess we have to go, Archibald."

"Sure," Nate grinned. "I'll just head on to lacrosse practice, then. I love you guys! Bye!"

And Nate waited for the limousine to turn at the corner before making his way back into the St. Jude's building.

* * *

**_b at bass(hole) industries_**

**SPOTTED:**_ A long-stretched limousine parked outside Bass Industries, after picking up its owner's daughter from school. We know what business Serena van der Woodsen has here on the day of a Bass board meeting – but who's the little tag-along we see stepping out of the Bass limo in her Eleanor Waldorf coat? It's none other than Eleanor Waldorf's walking advertisement, the Queen B. Gossip Girl wonders what Blair Waldorf is doing outside the company where her tragic Romeo is CEO? A special office quickie, perhaps? We've heard that Chuck Bass hasn't been spotted with any girl ever since he was back under his stepmother's roof and back in the CEO's office. Is it because he's exclusively with the Queen B, now? Dig some dirt for me, kids._

"This place really gives me the creeps."

Blair Waldorf daintily pulled the corners of her plump lips down. She straightened her clothes and checked herself on the shiny metal doors of the Bass Industries elevator. She _was_ about to go into a room full of high-powered company executives and board members. And Blair Waldorf _never_ looked less than perfect.

"You make Bass seem like a haunted house, B," Serena said, feebly trying to lighten up Blair's mood. "I wonder if Chuck's in," she hummed nonchalantly.

Blair scoffed so violently she surprised herself. "He's probably passed out on the floor of some trashy Williamsburg bar, after hard partying with the sluts who got drunk with him last night." And also surprisingly, the image her statement made in her head made her throat close.

"That hurts, B, you think so lowly of my stepbrother," Serena pouted teasingly.

"The truth hurts, S," Blair smirked.

Serena glanced back up on the small LED screen on top of the elevator doors. "And judgments, worse. FYI, Chuck was in his room, in his bed, asleep, and alone at ten-thirty last night, Blair. My mom checked on him. His _homework_ was even finished, ready for Eric to submit this morning. And he even prepared a slide for the progress report Mom asked him to present today."

The corner of Blair's right eye twitched. That was so, totally bizarre, and yet Serena sounded absolutely sincere about it.

"Whatever." She followed Serena's gaze on the LED screen, and saw the number 27 on it. The twenty-seventh floor of Bass Industries. The floor of the Chief Executive Officer's private bathroom, dining room, conference room and office.

_And we all know which Bass-hole is head of his father's company, now._

"I think you pressed the wrong button, Serena." Blair's voice broke and went an octave higher at the last word.

Serena's navy blue eyes flashed to the button she pressed, which was glowing red. "I don't think so. The twenty-seventh floor. That's right."

The tall blonde smiled lopsidedly as she felt Blair's shoulders slump beside her.

"Weren't we going to the board room?" Blair insisted.

"Um, no, we're not," Serena replied easily. "We wouldn't want to disturb the meeting, right? And Mom left the package with Chuck's secretary."

_Your mother has her _own_ fucking secretary_, Blair fumed. She was now fidgeting the buttons on the crimson velvet coat her mother created. Her thoughts were diverted momentarily by the realization that she was wearing _crimson_. Red would have been fine, but the damn coat was _crimson_. _The_ crimson of Harvard University. Yale's rival school. She'd have to persuade Eleanor to pull the disgusting coat out of her pre-summer line. It would totally send the wrong message!

"Twenty-four."

Blair's little brunette head snapped to Serena.

"Twenty-five."

Serena was reading the numbers off the LED screen.

"Twenty-six."

Suddenly, Blair's stomach started doing flips.

"Twenty-seven. Ah!" Serena's exclamation made Blair wince. "We're here!"

_Crap_, Blair gulped.

Right in front of the elevator, a pair of double-doors to the CEO's outer office had greeted them. Without looking, Blair knew that to the left, there was another pair of doors leading to the dining room, and a similar one to the right leading to the conference room.

As the two girls stepped into the outer office, Blair noted that the CEO's floor had changed. The late Bart Bass' fancy redwood furnishings were gone, replaced by his son's simpler, modern choices. There was new art on the walls, which were now a clean-looking white and no longer wooden brown. The numerous assistants, busy answering phone calls and typing emails, sat with new generation iMacs on each of their desks.

_That's Chuck Bass_, Blair pursed her lips, _spending money on new things, when the old ones were perfectly fine._

The office was also _brighter_, and evidently more worker-friendly. The employees were abuzz with a new enthusiasm, looking sharper. Serena led Blair, and they walked wordlessly to the oak doors in the middle of the other end of the office. A middle-aged, professionally-dressed woman sitting right beside the second pair of doors brightened up when she saw Miss Waldorf, then gave a wink to Miss van der Woodsen. She put down the phone receiver she was speaking into, and stood up.

"Miss van der Woodsen, good afternoon," Roberta, Chuck's secretary, greeted. "And it's nice to see you here again, Miss Waldorf."

"That makes one of us," Blair muttered. Serena put her long arm around Blair's shoulder.

"Sorry, Roberta, Blair's not feeling well right now," Serena smiled sweetly.

Concern swept over the secretary's face instantly. "Maybe she'd like to sit down inside Mr. Bass' office while you wait for Mrs. Bass, Miss van der Woodsen. Would you like coffee, tea or water, Miss Waldorf?"

"None of them!" Blair glared at her friend. "And, no, I would not _like_ to sit –"

"Come along, Blair," Serena coaxed. She was so much taller, that Blair couldn't resist to being pushed inside Chuck's office, the door of which Roberta held out kindly.

Blair held her breath, as if there was no oxygen inside the inner room. She kept her hands to herself, like there were germs everywhere.

"Sit, bitch," Serena ordered. Blair stared coldly at her. Serena returned her best friend's icy look, and dropped her bag, coat and scarf on Chuck Bass' new glass desk. She parked herself on the CEO's comfy, black, leather chair, not letting go of Blair's gaze.

Then she whirled around, facing the wide corporate windows. There was a short, wide cabinet placed in front of the windows, holding pictures and the usual memento crap Blair was used to seeing in offices.

Serena grabbed one silver frame and jumped up, running to Blair like a child.

"Oh, my gosh, look!" she squealed, brandishing the picture in front of Blair's pale face. "This was Christmas last, last year!"

Blair dared to put her hand on the frame and take it from Serena to get a closer look. She recognized the old van der Woodsen suite at the Palace Hotel, with the stupid giant Christmas tree Dan Humphrey snuck into the hotel as a lame attempt at a Christmas present for Serena. Beside the Christmas tree, the late Bart Bass shot an almost-smile at the camera, with his cashmere sweater-covered arm around Lily, his then-fiancée. Beside Lily, with her arm on his shoulder, was the Basstard himself, an amused look on his face. Serena and Eric were sharing an ottoman in front of the three standing at the back.

"That's so sweet of Chuck!" Serena gushed, tears surprisingly welling up in her eyes. "He has a picture of us here. And look!" She grabbed Blair's arm forcefully and pulled her along behind the desk. Blair observed the mementos sitting on top of Chuck's little cabinet. There was one of the many pictures they took at the Archibald's Hamptons house the summer when they were all thirteen. Blair remembered Mrs. Archibald taking this picture. The Non-Judging Breakfast Club was fooling around in Nate's room. Serena and Nate had goofy smiles on their faces, sitting on Nate's big bed. Chuck and Blair, meanwhile, were sitting beside each other on the long cushioned bench at the end of Nate's bed, perched on both edges of the stool, as far way from each other as possible, not covering Nate and Serena, smiling.

"There's another version of that picture over here, B," Serena informed her. She was holding it up, herself, and Blair felt herself being pulled to the frame in Serena's hands. She reached out to it, and cradled it in her own hands gently.

In this picture, Nate and Serena were totally obscured from the camera, with only their hands and fingers showing. Chuck and Blair were still sitting on the bench, but had shifted their positions. Chuck had his hands on each side of Blair's waist, and his fingers were splayed on her side, obviously tickling her. Blair was succumbing to Chuck's tickles. Her eyes were squinted shut from laughing, but her mouth was open in a wide smile. Blair's right leg was slung over Chuck's left one. From behind them, Nate and Serena's fingers were pointing at them. Blair's heart smiled when she saw why. Chuck was planting a kiss on her right cheek, which had turned a rosy pink from laughing so hard.

"Serena."

Bass Industries' Chief Executive Officer, Charles Bass, crossed his office and hugged his stepsister, who was an inch taller than him in her high heels. _Serena towers over everyone, anyway_, Chuck smiled inwardly. She was lawfully his sister now, since his father had signed the papers that legally made him Lily van der Woodsen-Bass' son.

The sweet, brotherly hug between the two new siblings made Blair ache for one, herself. She'd never had a sibling, and Aaron Rose didn't count, because he was in who-knows-where ever since Serena broke up with him. Blair tried to place the picture frame in her hand delicately back on top of Chuck's cabinet, but her palm had become sweaty and slippery, and the silver frame clattered against the glass top of the cabinet.

And he spoke, and she wished she could open the windows, because there was no way any oxygen was coming into her system.

Chuck Bass granted his stepsister's guest a polite nod, with an equally polite, business-like smile, huskily breathing out the words, "Hey, Blair." She didn't say anything back to him, so instead he moved to his desk. Like an opposing magnet, she circled around the other side of the table to avoid close contact with him until she was standing right beside Serena. Chuck kept his face down, pretending to be fixated on the papers one of his secretaries piled on his desk, trying to hide the lips he had pursed in offense.

He was fumbling with the buttons on his phone, distractedly forgetting which button would let him patch through to Roberta outside, but his visitors never saw an ungraceful moment.

His fingers finally found the first button.

"Roberta, I'll need Miss van der Woodsen's gift brought in now," he said steadily, quietly, but audible enough for Serena and Blair to hear. At the mention of the bribe for which her best friend betrayed her, Blair sucked in her cheeks and raised her pert little nose disgustedly at Chuck.

The female secretary carried the biggest Chanel bag into the room. While others would have had ecstatic expressions on their faces after seeing the size of the bag contain the just-as-big present, Serena's goddess features were marred by disappointment. And Blair couldn't seem to care less, by the look on her small porcelain face.

As the bag was laid down on Chuck's desk in front of her, Serena lifted one of the bag handles by the tips of her thumb and index fingers, with her pinky sticking out disgustedly.

"I said Miu-Miu, Chuck. At _Bergdorf's_," Serena complained. "This has Chanel, Fifth Avenue written all over it! You promised my Miu-Miu coat." The van der Woodsen's lips frowned dramatically, to no avail, because Chuck was already facing the windows, staring out at the New York skyline.

"That's what you get for trusting a Bass-hole, S," Blair said dismissively. She strode over to the bag, pushing Serena out of her way, and ripped the tissue rapper open. "I bet there's not even a Chanel _anything_ in here. For all I know, he's giving you – " Blair was cut off by her own gasp, and she was staring at Serena's gift. The most beautiful Chanel vintage coat was nestled at the bottom of the carrier bag. She was almost about to reach into the package for it, but Chuck's hand suddenly darted in front of her and into the bag. Blair jumped away. Chuck was really getting annoyed, and the odd thing was, he actually thought his _feelings_ were getting hurt.

_We weren't even aware Chuck Bass had a heart. But I guess you had to have one to fall in love with Blair Waldorf._

He gritted his teeth. Hard.

_As hard as what goes on in your pants whenever you see the Queen, Bass?_

Seriously. Did Blair really think he would try to do anything to her? They were in his office, in front of his _stepsister_, with a team of secretaries that could stand in as witnesses right outside.

Serena watched Chuck sigh heavily, her insides experiencing a sharp pang. Did Blair have to be such a bitch? She waited for Chuck to present his gift to her, the one Blair had so passionately gasped about. Chuck laid the cream Chanel coat delicately on his desk, holding out a hand to invite Serena to inspect it. She did so, noting that it was almost the same color as the Miu Miu coat, but only a classier shade. Vintage. Nice, clean cut, with a wide, dramatic lapel and collar and big black rhinestones for buttons.

Blair stuck out her bottom lip. The coat would fit her better than Serena, perfectly matching her super-sized Audrey Hepburn shades. Chuck _never _bought her anything as gorgeous as this coat.

_Really, B? What about that sexy red number you wore the night you were spotted trying to seduce a certain Armani-suited Bass in your room? That had Chuck Bass written all over it._

Serena fingered the black trim of the lapel. "This is gorgeous, Charles. I'm impressed, I must say. But, this isn't my Miu Miu."

"I know you were expecting that ecru catastrophe, sis," Chuck said smugly. "Bergdorf's put it on sale today. You'll thank me for preventing you from wearing something half-priced."

"Thank you!" Serena exclaimed, her face instantly brightening up. She traipsed back to where Blair was standing, frozen, and put her arm around her friend's shoulders.

"I'll consider this an advanced birthday present," she said to Chuck, "Since the favor you asked of me isn't going so well."

Blair scowled menacingly at Serena. _Traitor_, she wanted to scream.

"If that's the case, I believe we should just head home, Serena," Blair hissed icily.

"Oh, no, no," Serena beamed. "My mom's not here yet, and we said we'd wait for her, right?" She pursed her lips naughtily.

"You mind if I hitch a ride with you, too?" Chuck asked, trying to be nonchalant while tensing up in his chair. He watched Blair's lips tighten together, but she didn't display any other reaction.

"No, that's fine!" his stepsister said. "Blair, wait here with Chuck. I'll just run to the boardroom to get Lily and show her the coat," Serena ordered. As she bent down to pick up the bag containing Chuck's gift, Serena captured Chuck's eyes with her expressive dark blue orbs, widening them suggestively at him. Chuck locked his jaw in response.

As Serena hopped giddily out of the room, Blair sighed and parked herself on one of the two comfortable chair's sitting in front of the desk. She urgently brought out her phone and was about to check if Gossip Girl had any recent updates.

"Long time, no talk, Blair," Chuck hummed as he perused through the paperwork that needed his signature. He leaned back in his chair, and relaxed when Blair finally dared to look at him.

Blair held her breath. Chuck Bass seemed so different, sitting there in his executive chair looking so much like the hotshot CEO he really was. She couldn't even think of him as _Chuck Bass_ anymore. Right now, the mature man she was seeing in front of her was a Charles.

She narrowed her eyes slowly, and stiffly said, "It's nice to see you, too, Bass," turning back to her phone as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

"Really, now?" he chuckled. She heard the scrape of his executive fountain pen, with his name engraved on it in gold.

"Don't let it get to your head," she snapped back. Damned website was taking too long to load. "It was a polite compliment. It doesn't mean it was true."

"Oh, but don't you just wish it were."

"Do any of those windows open, Mr. Bass?" she said immediately. "I'm finding it a bit hard to breathe."

"Perhaps if you buttoned down that stifling coat you have on, Miss Waldorf."

"Chuck," she said silently, warningly. She stood up, and cocked her head to the side. "Please."

He studied her for what seemed like forever, but what was only just less than a minute. Chuck dropped his gaze back down on his work.

"The middle one, right behind me," he directed.

She carefully made her way to the other side of the desk, to the wide rectangular glass windows that doubled as walls. She hadn't noticed that there was a solitary window frame on the glass right behind him. Her hair was rising up by the prospect of standing so near to him, with her back turned, not knowing what he was up to behind her. Her hands flew to the window frame, looking for a lever to open the glass.

There was no lever, and therefore she couldn't open the window.

Sweat crept down the back of her neck as she felt heat behind her. Chuck Bass stretched his arms out and covered Blair's, helping her push the window, then lift it up. A strong gust of city hair filled the office. She could actually smell a hotdog being cooked in one of the stalls parked on the sidewalk in front of the Bass building.

Blair tried to inch away from him, but his outstretched arms prevented any escape. She backed into his right arm, which diverted his eyes to her.

"Excuse me," she whispered.

He moved away and let her pass. She didn't move, but just stood there, gazing out the window, her arms folded across her chest, breathing in and out.

"Better?" his voice cracked as he gulped. He tightened his tie even more.

"Yes, thank you," came her reply.

"Blair –"

"Chuck," she shifted her eyes to him. "I know why I'm here. I know why Serena brought me here. You want to talk to me, for God knows what reason. But I just want to make it clear to you that I do not want to talk, I do not want to be reminded of anything that happened, and I want to let you know in the politest way possible that I am _not_ in the mood for any of your shit. I'm sorry that your hopeless attempt to get at me, use, seduce and hurt me again has failed. I honestly do think you should just leave me alone and save me and yourself from the damage."

Her voice went a half-octave higher. At the end of her tirade, she turned back to the window. Chuck moved fast to stand behind her. She refused to look at him.

"I only wanted to say I was _sorry_, Blair," he bit out hardly. "You really didn't have to be such a bitch today, seeing that I'm trying to be as nice to you as possible."

Blair's back stiffened even more. She remained silent.

"You didn't read my letter, did you?"

Her mouth fell open at his accusation, but she didn't let him see it. She pressed her lips firmly together once more.

"No, I did not," she admitted matter-of-factly, "Because I saw no reason to. Chuck Bass, I really want to stay away from you as much as possible. With no contact, whatsoever."

"Would you really be able to sleep at night if that statement of yours came true?" he pushed.

"I haven't gotten any sleep at all, Chuck!" she screamed, turning around snappily to face him.

Chuck was frozen by how hard, and at the same time, liquid her eyes were. He stared into them intently, trying to find a solution to his problem in those deep brown orbs.

She took a couple of steps away so she wasn't so close to him. "I haven't slept at _all_ since that disastrous brunch, Chuck! It's been what, now? Almost two weeks? As if it's not enough that I'm completely harassed by school, and Yale! But that doesn't even _compare _to what you've put me through this past year, Chuck. Come to think of it, I haven't had a peaceful sleep _all year_. I've been staying awake thinking about you, and your mistakes, and my mistakes, and _you_ ruining _my_ life! I have been here for you, Chuck! I have made _sacrifices _for you, and you _always_ seem to feel that they don't count at all. You didn't even…" Blair cut herself off, and swallowed. Tears were threatening to smudge her makeup. "You didn't even give a shit when I said _it _to you, Chuck. You made me feel in that moment that I didn't even matter, you know, Chuck. What _does _matter to you, Chuck?Do you even feel _anything_, Chuck? Or are you really as heartless as we all think you are?" She blinked a lot, trying to clear away the tears that fazed her vision.

He took urgent steps closer to her and took her arms in his hands. "If I didn't care, I wouldn't be trying to win you back, Blair!"

"_Win me back_!" Blair screeched. She walked away from him and took her bag from where she left it on a chair. Blair supplied a bitter laugh. "You shouldn't even _try_, Chuck. This is done. We were done a long time ago, so leave me alone. Just give up."

She stomped to the door, just when Roberta opened it. The secretary looked startled by the furious look on Miss Waldorf's face. Blair wondered if the people outside had heard them yelling at each other, but the walls were most probably soundproof.

"Mr. Bass, Mrs. Bass sent for you and Miss Waldorf. She and Miss van der Woodsen already headed down to the limousine."

Chuck nodded stiffly, and followed Blair and Roberta out the door. The elevator doors were open right as they stepped out of the office. Blair ran in, and punched the close button before Chuck could catch up, yelling, "Take the next one."

Blair didn't even consider getting into the waiting limo as soon as the elevator doors opened at the lobby of Bass Industries. She swiped her shades and scarf out of her bag, wrapping the scarf around her hair, placing the shades on, and walked down the sidewalk heading home. Serena and Lily didn't even see her.

**SPOTTED:** zacefronforever sends us this incriminating little piece of gossip – and a possible scandal brewing to get the town hyped up before graduation season begins. We Upper East Side inhabitants know which multi-million dollar company is nestled right in front of the Crest, Shafai and Carter Law Firm building. This picture was taken from the twenty-seventh floor of Crest, Shafai and Carter, which is exactly aligned with the twenty-seventh floor of Bass Industries. To us lucky enough to be allowed access into the Bass building, the CEO's office is located on the twenty-seventh floor, and we all know which smoking hot honcho is at the wheel of Bass now. Here's Chuck Bass, in his office, having an evidently heated argument with his former lady-love, Blair Waldorf. I see now why Serena van der Woodsen dragged her here today. Look's like things are not looking well between the Queen and her ex-King. **An added bonus**, we also know which Daddy's Girl visits Atty. Shafai (or Atty. Shafai's gorgeous interns) everyday after school. Isn't zacefronforever a bit gay for a username, Penelope?

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What do you think? Is it worthy enough to have a Chapter 2? :))

Chapter 2 to be posted, maybe next week. We'll see. :)

Thank you for reading! Don't forget to leave a review and your ideas and suggestions!


	2. Day 2

Here's Chapter 2 of Touch My Hand.

Yes, I know it's short.

But still. It took me three hours to get it right.

It had to be short, because I was running out of ideas for a makeup chapter. It's a makeup chapter because I'm going back to school, therefore I would have limited time to write and work on my stories. I just thought the readers would appreciate a little teaser chapter before I go on a five-day hiatus.

Enjoy. :) & thank you for the reviews.

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**_s does some snooping_**

"Gosh, Chuck, I'm sorry," Serena frowned, almost sobbing. She uneasily tossed the scotch Chuck had given her inside her glass. Chuck's back was turned to her, sitting on a red leather ottoman in Bart Bass' home office, his head bent, his eyes scrutinizing the fine scotch in his own glass, watching the ice melt. Serena, meanwhile, was laid back on the ottoman's matching divan, her black knee-high boots still on and her legs draped lazily over the furniture, although she was anything _but_ relaxed.

Chuck had just finished recounting everything that happened between him and Blair during her absence in his office, the day after his disastrous rendezvous with Blair Waldorf. He didn't say anything in response to her.

"You can take my Chanel coat back," Serena offered gallantly, even though it made such a hole in her heart to even think of it.

"No," he protested. Chuck took a long swag of scotch. "It was a gift. Please, keep it."

Serena nodded, even though her mind couldn't really process Chuck's generosity, despite his loss. "Sure." She rose from her divan, and took a long stride to reach Chuck on his ottoman. She crouched down in front of him, his eyes studying her as she moved. Serena leaned forward, and with the hand that held her scotch glass, she used her knuckles to loosen up his tight jaw. Serena angled herself even closer to him balancing herself with her elbow on his knee.

She was so focused in analyzing his face, his expression, his eyes, searching. They both remained speechless, motionless, until Serena's free hand snuck up on Chuck's arm and snatched his drink from him.

"Hey, give it," he half-heartedly ordered.

"Come on, brother dear. Get up!" Serena snapped back, tugging at his sweater sleeve after depositing the scotch glasses back on the wet bar counter. "This isn't how you're supposed to be. You're Chuck Bass. Even after a major disappointment, my stepbrother – the one I know and, yuck, love – would come up with another plan, and the second time around he would make sure it was failsafe."

"I am losing my touch, Serena," Chuck sighed, lying down on the oversized ottoman and staring at his deceased father's office ceiling. "That first plan was poorly planned and poorly executed. It was overly unsatisfactory."

"I've learned from experience – and believe me, I have _tons_ of that – that you work best when you work alone," she reasoned, "or when you work with Blair. I was the flaw in your plan this time."

"Stop it, sis," Chuck growled. He got up from the ottoman and strode behind Bart's desk.

She pounced right in front of him, clenching his face in her hand, leaning across the table so that she was face to face with him.

"_You_ stop it. I refuse to let this happen. I refuse to let you and Blair deprive each other of the happiness you both deserve with one another," Serena fumed. Her blue eyes were cold and hard, and intense. "You have to work it out with her, Chuck. You just have to. I don't think either one of you could last long without the other." Serena's expression softened. "You belong with her, Chuck. I can't imagine the world any other way. You're Chuck and Blair, Blair and Chuck, remember?"

Serena took off her grip on Chuck's face, and pulled back as he fell on Bart's chair.

"I'll be in my room if you need me."

Before she headed to the safe sanctuary of her bedroom to uncover the mystery the torn pieces of paper inside her bag pocket held, she crossed the hall from Bart's office to Eric's room.

As part of sisterly nature, she nonchalantly entered without knocking. Her little brother wasn't on his bed, the bathroom door was wide open, and a pile of final exam reviewers were untouched on his desk. Eric's sock-sheathed feet were resting on top of his sofa. Serena plucked his earphones off, as she had done many times before, and smirked as his blue eyes popped open by the sudden loss of sound.

She locked his eyes with hers, and commanded, "Keep an ear out for Chuck, alright? I have a feeling he'll be locking himself up in Bart's study all night. Be alert for suicidal noises. If there is any, I'm just in my room."

"I doubt Chuck's suicidal, despite yesterday's heartbreaking events," Eric laughed.

"How'd you know?"

"Gossip Girl."

"Ah. Of course," Serena sighed. "Just, go in and check up on him if he doesn't come out soon," she pranced towards the door. "And make sure he comes down for Mom's dinner."

With Eric briefed, Serena let out the breath she'd been holding as she made her way to her room. She gathered her materials on her bed, and painstakingly took the pieces of the letter out of her bag. She put them together easily, as Blair had made straight neat tears. After taping the back, Serena flipped it over and read.

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=))))))))))))))))))))))))

HAHAHA. No, I am not going to tell you what the letter says. It's for Chuck & Serena's eyes only (since Blair never read it).

But don't worry. There are more important things to the story than the letter. Like, say, CHUCK & BLAIR.

I have a favorite word. It starts with an R, and ends with an S, which in this case, signifies that it is in plural form.

You guessed right! REVIEWS. :) Don't forget to leave them!


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